A Friendly Comforter
by Katherine Annabeth
Summary: Katara has been feeling lonely, having nightmares, and to top it all off she has lost her mother's necklace. What is she to do? Could a friendly comforter be all she needs?
1. Night Time Meeting

**Night Time Meeting**

**Katara was staying in the fire kingdom for a couple weeks with Aang to visit Zuko. She had been enjoying her stay there and had slept extremely well in her guest room in the palace, until tonight. She couldn't fall asleep except for a few short periods of time which she would always awake from in a cold sweat after having a nightmare. The nightmares were always the same, yet different, about the war that just ended. Sadly though while staying in the palace she lost her mother's necklace when she took it off to bathe.**

** Meanwhile Katara was standing on the balcony attached to her guest room. The cool night breeze brushed against her face and calmed her after her latest nightmare. She was so consumed thinking about the dream that she totally missed the boy silently walk up behind her.**

** "Hello Katara." Zuko said in a quiet voice. **

** "Oh, hello Zuko." Katara said, startled. "What are you doing here?"**

** "Sorry, I saw you from my balcony and realized you were upset so I came over to comfort you." Zuko felt bad for startling Katara.**

** "Oh, it's no big deal." She told him, "Why would you come to comfort **_**me **_**though?"**

** "Well we're friends, aren't we?" Zuko asked, Katara nodded in response, "And friends comfort each other don't they?" Again Katara nodded, "So there's your answer, we're friends so I came over to comfort you." **

** "Okay, nice answer." Katara said with a slight chuckle. "One more question though, do you have any idea why I need comforting."**

** "I'm guessing it's because you lost this," Zuko said as he side-stepped behind her and lifted up her mother's necklace to put around the girl's neck.**

** "Oh my goodness," Katara gasped while touching the necklace as Zuko tied it on. "Where did you find it?"**

** "One of the female servants found it in the ladies bath house when you left." Zuko replied when he finished the knot and regrettably took his hands of the young girl's neck. Katara then turned around and hugged Zuko. Zuko surprisingly hugged back. **

** "You know what Zuko, I used to hate you. And now look at me I'm hugging you on a balcony in your palace during the middle of the night." She laughed, "I mean I can't believe how much everything has changed in such short amount of time."**

** "Huh," Zuko replied slightly upset about Katara mentioning she used to hate him, especially since that isn't at all like he felt for her, or ever really did. He never hated any of them; he was just trying to return his honor. "I can't believe how much it's changed either." Katara and Zuko stood there looking out upon the fields laid out before them and letting the breeze blow against their faces. **

** "Katara, I have something to tell you." Zuko said, determined to finally tell her what he truly felt for her. **

** "Yes?" Katara asked and turned toward Zuko to see what he had to say.**

** "Well, uh… IreallylikeyouKatara." Zuko said in a rush.**

** "What?" Katara asked looking at Zuko in confusion.**

** "I really like you Katara." Zuko asked and looked at her to see how she would react. "Katara?"**

** "Oh," She replied which made Zuko nervous. "I like you too." She said in a quiet voice.**

** "It's okay… I mean what?" **

** "I like you too."**

** "Oh."**

** "Yeah…"**

** "Well…" With that Zuko turned Katara to face him. "You really do?" She nodded, "Well then…" Then he leaned in to capture Katara's lips in a kiss. It was chaste and sweet and over much too quickly in both of their opinions. **

** "Actually Zuko, I have to be honest with you. I love you." She said breathing heavily when they broke apart.**

** "I'm so glad you said it first," Katara gave Zuko a questioning look. "I love you too Katara." He kissed her again. This time though it was more heated and passionate.**

** Pulling her closer Zuko pressed his tongue against her lips. But when she didn't give he nipped at her lower lip causing her to gasp and when she did he slipped his tongue in. And for the rest of the night they continued on with the like.**


	2. The Morning After

**The Morning After**

**It was one of the last mornings Aang and Katara were going to be at the fire palace so he went to go wake her up early so they could make sure they saw everything before they left. Now Aang being the innocent naïve young boy he was didn't see anything wrong with intruding Katara's room without any notice.**

** "Hey Katara! I was wondering if you wanted to walk around the castle grounds with me this morning, I mean we could go down by the lake and practice water bending, or we could have a picnic, or…" Aang broke off. The sight before him was interesting, to say the least. Not only was Katara in her bed but so was Zuko. Who didn't have a shirt on and neither did Katara. Their bodies were pressed up against each others'. **

** "Katara, what are you doing, and why is Zuko in your bed with you?" Aang asked, truthfully ignorant of why the two would be in bed together. Oh poor, naïve, Aang.**

** "Aang, what are you doing in here?" Katara asked shooting up holding the comforter to her chest.**

** "I was going to ask you if you wanted to hang out this morning." Aang said wondering what the big deal was.**

** "So why didn't you knock on my door before you came in?" With the second outburst Zuko awoke and sat up groggily. **

** "Hey Aang how are you doing."**

** "I'm fine; Katara seems to be in a bad mood though." He said the second part to Zuko only.**

** "Well maybe because you walked into her room without knocking." He said to Aang as if it were a secret.**

** "Sorry, I'll just leave you to talk. About whatever you need to, Katara come find me when you're finished." Aang said and left the room.**

** Zuko turned towards Katara and smiled at her. He leaned forward to kiss her. But before he could take it any farther Katara stopped him.**

** "Zuko I love you, but I think we are going a little fast." Katara said thinking about how her father had always told her to be careful around boys. **

** "Well then there is only one thing I have to do about that." Zuko stood up, pulled on his pants and went to kneel in front of Katara.**

** "Katara, I love you so much, more than anything else in the world. Will you marry me?" Zuko asked with as much emotion he could muster and looking as pleading as he could.**

** "Yes, yes I will. I love you so much." And with that the two young people made love again.**


End file.
